That’s one triathlon down, and who knows how many more to go. Shane Schwichtenberg of Rochester Hills, who completed the Tri Goddess Tri triathlon last month at Waterloo Park in Chelsea, now has her sights set on the Anchor Bay Triathlon July 12 in New Baltimore as she continues to honor the memory of her late father.

Schwichtenberg has pledged to compete in one triathlon per month for the remainder of the season to honor her dad, Michael Karl Krause, who died from lung cancer earlier this year.

The American Lung Association (ALA) announced it would be the charity partner for the Tri Goddess event, which piqued Schwichtenberg’s interest. She signed up immediately.

“What better way to honor my dad (and) raise money for cancer research and challenge my body,” she said.

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Schwichtenberg has minimal experience in the triathlon, an ultimate test of physical fitness. The triathlon consists of swimming, running and biking in succession. Before the Tri Goddess event, she hadn’t competed in a triathlon in more than a decade.

“A friend of mine who was a trainer ... she helped me train for my first one (triathlon) and both my mom and dad cheered me on,” said Schwichtenberg, now 41, of her first encounter some 15 years ago.

Krause, however, was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer last November 2013 and died in January, “literally just two months,” Schwichtenberg said. “It was pretty sudden.”

While going through family mementos, Schwichtenberg made a discovery.

“Dad’s photo was pictured and published in a local newspaper,” she said, recalling that first triathlon. “I found the picture of him holding up a sign with my name.”

That’s when she got the idea to honor her dad. “This is a great way to honor him this summer and at the same time raise money for the American Lung Association in his memory because he was there for me 15 years ago and now I want to be there for him and let his voice be heard,” she said.

While there are varying distances for the triathlon, Schwichtenberg engages in the sprint distance version, consisting of a half-mile swim, 12-mile bicycle ride and a five-kilometer run.

The running and biking are her strengths, but “the swim part of the triathlon is very scary for me, it’s very different in a pool than swimming in open water,” said Schwichtenberg.

Nevertheless, she was proud to complete the Tri Goddess Tri triathlon last month and contribute to raising funds for cancer research. “Part of the fees went to the American Lung Association and they sponsored a Web site for me to collect donations,” she said. “So far we’ve raised $1,600 to go to the fight against lung cancer but my goal is to raise $3,000 by the end of the season.”

And to improve her performances in the daunting triathlon. “I hope to gain time and get a little faster for each one that I do this season,” she said. “I’m hoping to get through the whole season as long as the body holds up.”